Stories from Tuesday, October 7, 2003

The plan to raise McCook's water rates by $2 and stop the practice of offering discounts to the city's largest water users was put on hold Monday night. The council agreed to postpone any action until its Oct. 20 meeting when the staff could explain funding options for the new well field...

When our parents and grandparents were young, one of the terrible chapters in human history was taking place in Nazi Germany. Even now -- as a new century unfolds -- we are still trying to understand the atrocities committed by Hitler's army during World War II...

Dear Editor, I ain't heard so many angry, since the City Council and the water deal. I am also hearing from small stores that their sales have jumped near 20 percent since the big boy store in town went to self-checkout. It is also across the nation, and every one of my contacts in a dozen states tell the same story, that once is enough, then they start shopping elsewhere, even if it costs a bit more...

Dear Editor, I would like to offer a reply to Todd McCarty's letter of 10-3 AD 2003. First of all I would like to apologize for my lack of proofreading. Prior to typing my letter of 10-2 A.ID. 2003, I was reading "Messages from the Desert," and I had Iraq on my mind and stated that Mt. Ararat was in Iraq rather than Turkey. That proves once again, everyone falls short of the glory of God...

Whatever happened to the Loralee Byrd case? I read we were to have a decision in a couple of weeks, and that was three weeks ago. Are they hoping that we will forget it? It is pretty hard to forget that she wrote checks for $300,000 months and months ago, and canceled a lot of them a month or so ago. ...

If you haven't checked out our new Web page, you should. We get e-mails daily asking why we don't update the page more often, and the answer is, we do. The problem is, the old page is still up. When you go online, make sure you end up at a site with the URL...

Bison junior places fourth at district meet

LEXINGTON -- Glendis Elaine (Mott) Sayer, 61, of Cozad, died Monday (Oct. 6, 2003) at Tri-County Hospital in Lexington. She was born March 26, 1942, to Glenn and Edna (Pavlicek) Mott in Oberlin, Kan. She grew up in Oberlin where she attended school and graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1960. ...

Vera Julianne Stoeger, 83, of Boelus, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003, at Mount Carmel Home in Kearney. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rockville with the Rev. Tom Ryan officiating...

BENKELMAN -- Eugene Merle "Gene" Stamm, 78, died Monday (Oct. 6, 2003) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was born Aug. 13, 1925, to Earnest John and Zella Blanche (Bernard) Stamm at his parents home northwest of Benkelman. In 1929, his parents purchased the Hickman farm. It became the family farmstead. He attended school at District 21. He also attended Benkelman High School for one year...

OBERLIN -- Grace M. Sumner, 102, died Sunday (Oct. 5, 2003) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born July 29, 1901, to Wesley and Etta (Aller) Spence in Pleasant Hill. The family lived in Pleasant Hill for a while, but then moved to Wilsonville...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Charles Louis McCurdy, 74, died Wednesday (Sept. 24, 2003) in Tucson, Ariz. He was born Oct. 16, 1928, in McCook. He served 26 1/2 years in the Air Force. He was preceded in death by his parents and four sisters. Survivors include his wife, Virginia; three daughters, Deborah and husband, Donald, Cheryl, and Christine and husband, Donald; two sons, Michael and wife, Debra, and Patrick; one sister, Delores; and seven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters...

Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning approved a $300,000 loan for the ethanol plant proposed at the Perry Elevator site between McCook and Culbertson. Board members also agreed with the mailing of 10-day notices to land owners who have infestations of musk thistle...

The family of Richard and Karen (Barratt) Dack of McCook is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 45th anniversary. They married Oct. 12, 1958, in McCook. Children of the couple are Tammy and Jim Fredrickson, Lori and Harold Pearson, Terri and Mike Skolout and Kathy and Todd Lichty. They have 10 grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at RR4 Box 209, McCook, NE 69001...

"Suzy the Cat-Killer" lives quite peacefully with four cats. The big golden retriever with "behavior problems" is now a certified therapy dog. The little poodle, lost and alone on a busy highway, now has a loving home. The dog who was within hours of starving to death now has a bottomless bowl of dog food and an endless supply of love...